My Knight, Lord Edward Midford
by ann1914
Summary: One day, the queen sent a letter to the Midford household. The letter was addressed to Lord Edward Midford, son of the leader of the British Knights. The letter contained little to no information, only a simple task pleaded by the queen. What the queen ordered for the young knight was simple: to protect Annalise Harrietson.
1. As A Gentleman, He Protects

**Chapter One: As A Gentleman, He Protects**

* * *

That afternoon, a two-horse drawn carriage entered a vast estate right near the boarders of England, silently following the only path in front of them. The trees lining the pathway of the entrance swayed majestically with the guidance of the soft wind. Outside, the mansion definitely stood out amongst the nearby houses as it was decorated with grandiose architecture, which probably dated back more than centuries ago. That, of course, is possible, considering the familial heritage the estate belonged to.

Just then, two men both elegantly dressed in white stepped out of the carriage, overlooking the estate. Standing tall like soldiers, both of them had on unreadable expressions as they finally arrived their destination.

"Whoa!" The shorter man of the two beamed with one hand placed on his forehead – as if saluting – while his eyes were energetically scanning his surroundings. "It's my first time personally delivering a letter to this household, but wow, it's definitely more than I could have ever imagined it to look like!"

The other man sighed in reply, "Please stop doing that every time we go to someone's house to deliver something," he placed a hand on his head and continued to sigh, "it's very unsightly."

The shorter man pouted as both of them headed towards the staircase with the taller hitting the golden carved lion knocker against the door as they waited for a reply. Soon after, the door was opened by a footman, bowing as he saw the two men and led them inside the mansion. He led them down the hall and finally stopped outside a large door. "Please, enter," he gestured to the door in front of them, "Marquis Midford is inside his study." After another bow, he left them.

"Excuse us," the tall man knocked and entered after a few seconds he heard a reply from the inside. There, in the opposite side of the room, sat the head of the household, Marquis Alexis Leon Midford, leader of the British Knights. "We were sent by the queen to give you a letter."

"Well, it's more for your son though," the shorter one added.

Marquis Midford stood up from his seat and headed over to the two men, greeting them warmly. "Ah, welcome, Charles," the Marquis shook the tall man's hand with a smile then he did the same to the other man, "and Charles."

"It would be better for you to just call us Phipps and Grey, Marquis Midford," the tall man replied.

Then, a knock came from the door, followed by the entrance of a young blond man. "Father?" he curiously said as he moved closer towards the Marquis. "Ah, Earl Grey and Sir Phipps. It's a pleasure to meet you." The man shook both of their hands with a smile.

"Well, now that all of us are here, let's talk this matter over some tea," the Marquis gleamed.

"Lord Edward Midford," Phipps began as all four of them finally sat down after their introductions, "I have a letter from the queen addressed to you." With this, he took out a letter from his double-breast jacket and handed it to the young lord sitting across from him.

Edward took a quick look on the back of the letter, the queen's seal clearly visible on the candle wax marking. He opened the letter and enclosed, read the letter to himself.

_My Dear Young Lord Edward, _

_It would seem that I have a task for you as a knight of the Midford household. Please keep this a secret from anyone until the mission is cleared. I cannot leave this mission to the Earl of Phantomhive since he is busy with other work as well as your father as he is the head of the Knights, therefore I ask this favor of you. _

_There is not much, but please protect Lady Annalise Harrietson. I have already asked Earl Phantomhive to accommodate as to where you will be staying to keep a close eye on her. I sincerely wish you the best of luck and that harm will not come across both of you._

_– Victoria_

Edward looked at the two white clad soldiers with a confused expression. "I-Is this it?"

"Yes," Phipps replied.

"There's not much information on it though, like why am I even-"

"Shh," Grey held up a finger to his lips, startling the young knight. "We were told by the queen that this is top secret and it is forbidden to speak of the mission."

"So please," Phipps continued as he and Grey stood up, "prepare for your departure to Earl Phantomhive's mansion tomorrow. We will personally take you there, as ordered by the queen."

Marquis Midford stood up as well, motioning to the door, "Well, I guess we'll see each other tomorrow as well then, Sir Phipps and Earl Grey. I'll see both of you out as Edward thinks this through."

"W-What kind of mission is this?" Edward mumbled in disbelief as the three gentlemen headed out. "I sincerely wish you the best of luck and that harm will not come across both of you?!" He read the sentence again. His fists balled up, crumpling the sides of the letter. This sentence alone gave him the chills. As he was about to leave, the Marquis entered, his eyes worried for his son. "Father, I-"

"Edward," he said in a stern voice. "Since it is top secret, even as the leader of the British Knights, I must not know anything about your mission nor can I be of help to you. You are a knight as well, and you must therefore execute the orders of the queen as best as you can. But as a father," he placed his hands on Edward's shoulders and looked at him with a worried expression, "I am concerned."

"Father…"

* * *

That morning, a carriage lined in front of the Midford household as last minute baggage were being loaded. As the servants finally finished, the Marchioness and Marquis stepped forward to bid their goodbyes to their son along with their wishes for a safe mission.

"Now Edward, don't forget what you have learned and to be on your best behavior," Marchioness Midford spoke, "Don't do anything rash and think logically for your next move, understood?"

"Yes, mother," the boy replied lifelessly. Just thinking of what his mission would be like scared him, especially the thought of the queen's last sentence. He knew he wasn't prepared for this yet. He didn't want to risk another's life due to his incompetency. But in the end, he didn't want to let down the queen, much less the name of the Midfords who have protected England for centuries. He didn't want to seem weak, even though his sense of justice was stronger than anyone else's.

"Edward," the voice of his father snapped him out of his thoughts as he raised his head to face his father's. "I trust you, son." As his father gave one last smile before the carriage moved, Edward shot up. At that moment, with his father's last words, he felt that he could do this mission… somehow.

* * *

"Cieeel~!" The little lady jumped out of the carriage the minute it stopped and hugged the little boy waiting in front of the entrance to the mansion. "I've missed you so much! Look how cute you look!"

"L-Lizzy! I-I can't b-breathe!" the boy spoke.

"You!" Edward faced the same boy with an angry expression. "Get your hands off of Lizzy this instant! Also, I haven't accepted you as my brother-in-law yet, you hear me?!"

"Gah!" Once Lizzy let go, the boy coughed. "I expected Edward, but not Lizzy to come today. Sebastian, make the necessary accommodations."

"Of course I would come to see you, Ciel!" Lizzy gave him another hug, to which he flailed again.

The black clad butler standing next to him smiled and bowed, "Yes, my lord." Then he faced the two guests and held out a hand, "Please, follow me Lady Elizabeth."

"Eh?" Elizabeth let go of Ciel and looked at Sebastian. "Only me?"

"Edward and I are going now. Take care of her, Sebastian." Ciel got onto the carriage the two Midfords just got out from and motioned to Edward to do the same. "Let's not waste time, Edward. Come on."

"W-What? But we just got here!"

"Actually, you just came to pick me up so that I could show you both to your new home for the time being." Ciel looked towards the entrance to his mansion and sighed. "Come out, Lady Harrietson. It's time to leave."

"B-Both?" Edward looked back to the mansion just in time for the door to open slightly.

The door to the mansion opened to reveal a woman dressed sophisticatedly in a light blue and white dress with matching frills and ribbons. Her long and rich honey-colored hair draped loose by her shoulders. She slowly stepped gracefully towards the staircase, eyeing everyone below.

"Wow, she's so pretty!" Elizabeth exclaimed. She eagerly looked behind towards her brother. "Brother, isn't she-" Elizabeth didn't even finish her sentence as she saw her brother lightly painted with red across his face as he silently watched in awe of the woman in front of him. This only excited Elizabeth even more. "Kyaaa~! Brother's in love!"

There, in Edward's face, crept a deeper shade of red as he heard his sister's comment. "L-Lizzy! W-What are you talking about?!"

This only made Ciel and Sebastian chuckle in amusement. Even the woman above the staircase had on a smile at the statement.

'_Y-You have got to be kidding, right?!_' Edward thought as he blushed even more. '_I-I'm supposed to protect someone like her?! I don't get this at all!_'

* * *

_**Author's Note**_: Ah, I've had enough of the spacing issues for scene changes and the like. Using the horizontal line is still too close for me, but that might do for now. If you know how to add another space in between paragraphs, please do tell! It's my first time posting on this site. Other than that, hope you like the first chapter, although not much is going on yet. ^^;;


	2. As A Gentleman, He Obliges

**Chapter Two: As A Gentleman, He Obliges**

* * *

From the start, the ride was clouded with both a silent and awkward atmosphere. Edward was looking out of the carriage window, clearly uncomfortable. Ciel, on the other hand, looked out of the other window as clusters of people passed by while Lady Harrietson was sitting proper on the opposite side of the two men, but from time to time, she as well looks out of the window with a smile as she saw glimpses of things that interested her. The two guards who were in charge of the carriage were silent, with Earl Grey absentmindedly staring straight with both hands behind his head as Sir Phipps had on his usual poker face expression, holding the reins.

After a fair amount of silence, Ciel, growing irritated, scowled. He didn't mind the silence at all, in fact, he enjoys silence, especially since his mansion is always filled with noisy servants and loud explosions every day. It was just that this kind of awkward silence was getting on his nerves.

Smirking as he remembered Edward and Lady Harrietson's first encounter, Ciel spoke up. "Something just occurred to me, why are both of you so quiet? Are you not curious about each other, especially since you will both be living in the same house for a while?"

"L-Living in the same house?" Edward stuttered with flushed cheeks. "Don't say it so shamefully!"

"It is true though," Ciel sighed as he crossed his arms, "and here I thought you were a gentleman who would not forsake a woman. As your cousin, I am disappointed in you, Edward." Ciel eyed the man beside him, his own expression looking hurt.

"Both of you really get along well, do you not?" The lady chuckled. "But Earl Phantomhive, as much as I see your argument, slowly getting to know someone is not as bad as it seems as well. Right, Lord Midford?"

"Right," Edward responded with a sigh, feeling defeated when the mission itself has not even started yet.

"Hmph, I could not care less," Ciel replied as he went back to eyeing the townspeople outside the carriage window.

The carriage took a turn into an alleyway and once it got out of the tight path, the sun shone magnificently, making them squint to varying degrees to fend off the light. Once the carriage finally pulled into a stop, the two white clad soldiers got off first, with Phipps opening the door for the three inside.

The area in itself was quite serene. There were barely any visible sounds except for the swaying of the trees along with the slight tender chirpings of the birds. One might even think that they were nowhere near London, for that matter. And there, standing in front of them, was an imposing edifice. It did not look as grand as the Phantomhive manor nor that of the Midford estate, but it was still quite grand to an ordinary onlooker.

"What is this place?" Edward broke the silence as he carefully took in his surroundings.

"You could say a vacation house, Lord Midford," Sir Phipps spoke.

Earl Grey whistled, "Quite grand for a vacation home, might I add."

"This will be where you both will be staying for the duration of this mission, Edward and Lady Harrietson," Ciel explained. "I would assume that a place like this would be less susceptible to infiltrations and–"

"Gah––!"

A cry of pain echoed nearby, making the two soldiers prepare themselves into a fighting stance with their hands ready to take out their swords. Ciel just sighed, while Lady Harrietson was surprised.

"Ugh––!" Another shriek followed.

"What was that?!" Edward asked, startled.

"You're late," Ciel eyed the figure who was getting closer until it revealed the black clad butler they saw not too long ago before they left the Phantomhive manor, "Sebastian."

"My apologies, young master," he replied has he placed a hand on his chest with a devious smile, "but it would seem that I had to take care of some business on the way."

"And what kind of business?" Edward raised an eyebrow, concern evident on his face. "It awfully sounded like someone was–"

A sudden small glint of light flickered not far off from where they were. Although the butler did not face that direction, he quickly drew a silver utensil from his coat pocket and flicked it behind him, causing another moan of pain to be heard from behind.

With a motion of dusting his hands together, Sebastian smiled as he cut the young knight's words, "Just something a Phantomhive butler has to take care of, Lord Edward."

"Now, now," Earl Grey returned to his laid back stance. "We need to get back to the queen, so might I suggest we get this done already?"

"It is also getting late," Sir Phipps nodded. "We will take care of the luggage. Come, Grey." Phipps and Grey turned and went back to the carriage.

"Well then, I will go and prepare some tea," Sebastian smiled as he led the three inside the house. "Please stay in the drawing room and I will be back shortly."

With a sigh, Edward sat on the couch while Lady Harrietson, who has been quiet since they arrived, sat beside him.

"Are you feeling unwell, Lord Midford?"

"Nothing of the sort, Lady Harrietson. Just a bit tired, I believe."

"Please," she gave him a warm smile, "just call me Annalise."

"Then, thank you for your concern, Lady Annalise," his eyes softened at the woman beside him, "Please call me Edward from now on as well."

Ciel sat on the opposite couch as the two soldiers who just finished delivering the luggage to their respective rooms came in. Sebastian followed not long after, with a cart filled with their late afternoon tea and sweets.

After everyone sat and had their afternoon tea, except the smiling butler, of course, Ciel bid goodbye to his cousin and the Lady, along with the two butlers of the queen, as they stepped out of the house. Sebastian was the last to leave, formally bowing to the two and wished both of them a good night. Then, he finally closed the door and the carriage went on its way back to the Phantomhive manor.

* * *

An hour later, Lady Harrietson and Lord Midford were preparing to go to bed after having a quick tour of the house. There were only two bedrooms upstairs, which were right in front of each other, nonetheless.

"Now that I think about it," Annalise stated with a hand still on the doorknob as she took two steps inside her bedroom, "there seems to be something missing."

"What is it?" Edward stopped in front of his closed door and turned towards the woman behind him.

"Oh my, I think we left too early."

"Excuse me?"

"We left Earl Phantomhive's manor quite too early, Lord Edward," she turned to face the knight with a worried look on her face.

"Did you perhaps leave something behind?"

"Hmm, quite so."

"Well, I'll give Ciel a call first thing tomorrow, so please rest for the night, Lady Annalise." Edward was about to open his door until he felt a slight tug on his coat. He turned to see a lightly flushed lady slightly looking at the floor. Edward on reflex gulped and looked away from the lady, unable to make eye contact for a reason quite unknown to him. "L-Lady Annalise?"

"I-If the call has to absolutely wait until tomorrow, can I possibly ask for help?"

"P-Pardon?" Edward's voice rose a bit at the sudden question. He stopped for a while and eyed the woman. _'Just what did she leave behind to require my aid?_' He thought to himself. Then after a while, he straightened himself and cleared his throat. "If I may be of assistance, then of course."

"This might sound a bit unreasonable of a request," she started.

"I-It is fine," Edward assured her.

"Can I perhaps borrow a–" then her cheeks flushed deep red as she stopped midsentence. Annalise turned around and continued with a mumble barely audible for him to hear, "N-Nevermind."

_'__Just what is her request to make her blush and turn away?!'_ Edward as well had his face painted with red in embarrassment, even though he did not know of the circumstances the lady was facing.

Lady Annalise stopped in her tracks, just a few inches from her room, which made Edward twitch. He heard her mumble about something being 'uncomfortable' and not 'being able to sleep properly at night' without the item in question.

_'__Can't sleep at night without it?' _The knight thought, _'A good luck charm, perhaps?'_

"Lord Midford, can I borrow a dress shirt from you?" Annalise spoke in a small voice, startling the young knight out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Edward froze, seeming to wonder if he heard her right.

"A dress shirt," she repeated, "c-can I borrow one?"

Confused, he asked, "May I ask why?"

"We left the manor too quickly this morning that Earl Phantomhive seemed have forgotten to have the servants load my luggage. I do not have any nightwear as of the moment, so may I borrow a dress shirt for the night?"

Edward could feel his temperature rise higher just from the thought of Lady Annalise wearing his dress shirt, or even borrowing it, for the matter! He could swear that Ciel definitely remembered, but disregarded that fact to have this event happen.

The young knight quickly turned and went into his room to hide his tomato-colored face.

"I-I guess it was too much to ask for," Annalise sighed with embarrassment and went into her own room. Before she could close it, a hand propped it open. She opened it again to reveal Edward, looking out into the hallway and quickly handing over a white dress shirt.

"H-Here!" He handed the piece of clothing, which the woman made a weak smile of relief as the knight made way to his room. He made one last thought before heading to the showers. _'C-Calm down, Edward! This is a mission!'_

* * *

_**Author's note**: _Chapter two is up! I apologize for the delay and for the lack of action in this chapter. Although Sebas-chan did some stunts. Hope you enjoyed it at least. /hides in a corner/ Also, I'm going to write this series with 4 pages in MS word for each chapter since chapter one was four pages long, haha.

Merry Christmas! ^^

_Thanks to those who favorited and followed! I really appreciate it and I'm hoping that you enjoy this chapter as well!_

_Yukio Lover:_ Thanks for the review! I tried my best, haha. xD


	3. As A Gentleman, He Begins

**Chapter Three: As A Gentleman, He Begins**

* * *

The morning robins have risen quite early and have started to sing their usual song, creating warm fragments of music to surround the peaceful air. Clouds were scattered from here to there but nonetheless, they made a path to clear the way for the sun to appear up in the horizon.

The Phantomhive vacation house, as Sir Phipps described, was still motionless both inside and out. Not a single movement was evident – at least not distinct enough to cause a disturbance – except for the constant ticking noises of the clocks from the inside and the distant rustling of the trees on the outside.

That is, until the young knight stirred from his sleep, moaning as he ran his delicate but chapped fingers (due to constant practice) through his golden locks. He sighed as he finally opened his eyes to greet another day, squinting slightly from the morning light that passed through his curtains. He glanced over to his nightstand clock and somehow, a small smile curved from his lips.

"Mother would have been upset if she saw that I'm still in bed at this hour," he chuckled as he peeled off the covers and stood to fully open the curtains. He noticed two robins flew by from one tree and into the unending horizon. The magnificence of such nature suddenly brought back a memory from last night. A sight that was as magnificent as that same morning itself – at least that's what Ciel would have probably thought, the young knight supposed.

With the same light blush starting to creep back from his cheeks from last night, Edward decided to take his mind off of such an embarrassing thought by getting ready for the day.

* * *

Noticing that the house was still quiet as he went out of his room, Edward resolved to take a light stroll outside to survey the grounds as he was not able to do so yesterday. For precautionary measures, he immediately grabbed a sheathed sword from the other side of his room and headed out.

* * *

Surveying the environment, he breathed in the morning air, closing his eyes once again. He felt relaxed. He somehow felt that he could be free, unconstrained by the strict boundaries that his mother had set upon him. He knew she meant well but sometimes her teachings made him feel ashamed. Sometimes he felt ashamed that he could not follow her in the same precise manner as his own sister could manage to do. He was ashamed but at the same time, he was optimistic – a trait desirable for a knight. He knew he had much to learn, to take one step at a time, and hopefully one day, he would be able to make his parents proud.

A sudden movement from the bushes beside him led him out of his thoughts. Jerking a bit from the sudden noise, Edward took a step forward, glancing over to the direction of the movement. As the bushes moved again for the second time, he was sure something – or maybe someone – was definitely hiding.

_'__Are they already striking? This early in the morning?_' He thought as he took calculated steps with one hand on his sword's sheath and the other on the sword itself.

An unidentifiable thing then made way to a tree right past Edward and at that moment, a shadow loomed in front of him. Instinctively, he drew out his sword and stopped just enough to point the tip of it to the shadow.

Within a second, Edward was able to depict a man, in a butler-like clothing, standing in front of him. An antenna of the man's hair shot upwards as his eyes widened from the sudden action of the young knight. Then in a split second, the antenna curved forwards with a slight tremble.

"Please don't strike!" The man spoke.

_'__His voice doesn't seem like it fits his character…'_

"…says Goethe."

_'__Is that his real voice?' _A yellow and orange spotted snake circled around Edward's feet, startling him.

"We're just here to deliver a package," the same man spoke but with a changed tone of seriousness. "…says Wilde." A brown and black colored snake then appeared, wrapping itself around the man's neck.

Edward sighed and withdrew his sword back into its sheath. "If I remember correctly from when we met at the Campania, you are called Snake, am I right?" The man nodded, his antenna flopping back casually. "Then come in and have some tea."

* * *

"Mr. Snake?" Annalise stopped on the winding staircase once the two men came in. She was barefooted, with just Edward's dress shirt covering her.

"Y-You–!" Edward quickly turned away, red flushing in his cheeks while Snake did the same. His snakes were hissing in her direction.

"A-Annalise, dear! W-What on earth are you wearing?!" Snake's voice changed yet again as he stuttered. "…s-says Emily."

Finally noticing what the commotion was about as she looked down at her nightgown for the night, Annalise became red as she stood there, frozen. "M-Miss Emily! It's not what you're thinking! E-Earl Phantomhive forgot to add my luggage s-so I had to borrow a dress shirt from Lord E-Edward!"

Edward, seeing as he diverted his gaze to Snake's direction, saw the luggage he had on both hands. The guy was clearly shaking, he noticed, as he desperately clutched the luggage in both hands. Knowing why Snake finally showed up, Edward quickly grabbed both of the luggage, said an 'Excuse me' to Snake in a rushed voice, and ran to Annalise.

Annalise was taken aback, flinching at the sudden dash of the young knight.

"H-Here!" he said, bowing at the woman in front of him as he eyed his own shoes. He held out his arms in front of her. "G-Go change this instant!"

* * *

"You're giving these precious gentlemen a heart attack so early in the morning, dear. We all know how much of a clumsy person you are sometimes, but please be mindful… says Emily."

"I apologize. I'll be careful next time." The woman who now changed into an elegant light green dress with accompanying white accents, nodded with a shy smile. She didn't dare to look at any of the two men sitting in front of her. The same goes to both Edward and Snake.

Edward cleared his throat, placing his cup of tea on the table in front of him. "If I may ask, what were you doing in the bushes this morning, Snake?"

"Well, as we were coming here, there were–" Snake paused his translation of Goethe's hiss as a sudden strong hiss from Wilde interrupted him. Then his voice changed. "Don't tell them that, you imbecile!... says Wilde."

_'__Another evasion?'_ Edward had a slight frown as he remembered what Sebastian said to him the day before. He was quick to note that something must have happened again. He was always quick to notice such things – another desirable trait from him.

Emily hissed and Snake stood up. "Don't worry so much, Lord Midford… says Emily. Now if you'll excuse us, we're done with our business here… says Wilde. Y-Yes, we'll see you both next time… says Goethe."

While Edward led Snake to the front door, Annalise was just waving with a smile from the entrance of the drawing room where they held their tea. Snake looked back at Edward, giving him a careful look.

"Lord Midford, we were asked by the Earl of Phantomhive to protect Lady Annalise as well. Rest assured, we take both of your safeties into consideration… says Wilde."

Edward knew that there was something that they were hiding from him. He wanted to ask, but then again, what are the chances of them actually giving a truthful answer? He withdrew from his thoughts and gave Snake a stern smile.

"Thank you," was all he could say.

Once Snake rounded into the street's corner, Edward went back to the bushes where he met the man a few hours ago. He was searching for something, scanning carefully from behind several bushes and trees.

"There's nothing here." He whispered to himself. He also traced Sebastian's footsteps from yesterday and much to his displeasure, the area was clean as well. "I could have sworn I heard a moan of pain when Sebastian made that move."

After a few minutes of merely standing and contemplating on the same ground, Edward sighed and finally decided to go back inside. He heard Annalise in the kitchen with what seemed like running water. Heading towards her direction to help clean up, the phone rang. Turning back, he paced to the direction of the phone.

"Hello?" A scratching sound was heard on the other line, making him wince. Then the deep voice of a man answered with a shrill laugh.

"Protect the lady? From me? Don't be ridiculous," the man's voice deepened at the spiteful remark. "Let's see how long you'll last, Lord Midford."

* * *

Back at the Phantomhive mansion, Snake finally arrived home. Once he opened the door, he was greeted by one of his colleagues who was balancing a stack of plates on both hands.

"Welcome back," Meyrin smiled as her glasses glinted at the sun's rays. "Young master would like to see you, yes he does. He told me to tell you to go to his office once you came back." Once the message was safely delivered, Meyrin went back to the kitchen where a sound of crashing and a screech echoed into the mansion a few seconds later.

Snake did as told but he wanted to take a small glance inside the kitchen first to see if any help was needed. Finny saluted to him when he saw an antenna disappear quickly behind the door. Knowing it was Snake, he smiled.

"Mr. Snake! Welcome back!" he beamed. "I'll help Meyrin, so you can go ahead and see young master!"

"Very well… says Wilde."

A soft knock on the door was heard followed by the command of the Earl to have him come in. Snake entered quietly, peeking first to see the Earl going over some important papers while having a cup of warm milk. Sebastian followed soon after, bowing to the Earl as he said that he has done what he was told.

The Earl nodded as he acknowledged Sebastian's report then turned to Snake. "So, what happened?"

"As you have guessed, there was a 'guest' this morning… says Wilde." A slight tinge of pink now graced the man's face. "And as you have guessed again, young master, both of them are getting along _really_ well!... says Goethe."

The second message made the Earl smirk accompanied by a soft laugh. At last, he finally received a piece of good message to his monotonous day.

* * *

_**Author's Note**_: I haven't realized that this fic is getting so much love already. THANK YOU SO MUCH. /throws flying hugs and kisses/ I would like to apologize in advance if I can't publish chapters as frequently in the future (though this isn't much of a difference considering the previous chapter was uploaded on December).

Nonetheless, thank you to the new followers and favorites! I really appreciate it! Also, a huge thanks to the commenters as well. Random emails of new comments remind me that I still have to write this fic, haha. ^^;;

_chibianimefan26_: Aha, thank you!

_Guest_: Hello! Thank you for the support! Here's another chapter, hehe.

_QueSeraSera1048_: Indeed! He's such a lovable character in both the Campania and the School arcs! And that's what I'm going for - a fun and quick read. ;D

_Yukio Lover_: Ehe, thanks again! 3

_surveycorps_: Thank you! I hope you enjoy the future chapters as well. ^^

_Latariya_: Cute to the max! Haha. xD

_username112841_: Yes! Although I won't be updating as much though. Sometimes out of laziness, others out of being busy, and most of the time due to the need of more ideas. Glad you're liking it so far!


	4. As A Gentleman, He Wonders

**Chapter Four: As A Gentleman, He Wonders**

* * *

A few days have passed since Edward accepted and heard the mysterious call. Whenever he and Annalise went outside for any reason, he takes great caution and observes everything around him in a defensive manner. He was getting anxious as to what the actual details of his mission entailed and of course, those around him would take notice of his sudden change in behavior.

"Are you alright, Lord Edward?" Annalise leaned in a bit to catch a glimpse of the young knight. This sudden action made him flinch out of his thoughts as he stopped in his tracks. It appears that they have been walking for quite a while now since Edward realized that they arrived in the middle of town where all the shops, parlors, and other various kinds of edifice stood. Annalise then walked a few more steps to come face to face with the knight, awaiting his answer.

With calmed heart beats and a soft smile, he answered a few seconds later, easing his eyes on her. "Yes, my lady."

"What is this, Edward? Are you courting her?"

With his guard down, he jumped. "W-Who are you?" he added as he turned around to face the voice.

"Oh my, you really are not alright," Annalise commented. "I was talking to him just now. Were you not listening?"

The man in front of them shook his head, "Oho, a knight who does not listen. My, my."

Edward blinked a few times then cleared his throat as he extended a hand. "Judging by your looks, I believe you must be the prince the Earl of Phantomhive told us about. I am Edward Midford. A pleasure to meet you."

"Prince Soma Asman Kadar." The prince gladly shook his hand with a wide smile. "And this over here is Agni, my right hand man." The taller man bowed down and greeted the knight. "Also, I guess I was right since you did not deny my statement a few seconds ago?" He teased with a smirk, nudging Agni who in turn tried to calm down the prince.

"O-of course not!" Edward belatedly responded. "How could I do such a thing?" He folded his arms and looked away.

All three of them blinked and looked at Edward's bashful reaction followed by instinctively eyeing each other. A few seconds later, Lady Annalise placed her hand near her mouth and gave a chuckle while Soma gave another teasing smile. Agni, on the other hand, was taken aback and gave a small blush.

"My Prince, is this…!"

"It is, it is! No doubt about it!"

Confused, Edward faced them and uncrossed his arms. He then gave them a questioning look. "No doubt about what? What are you talking about?"

A pause came from all three of them as they again eyed Edward. The same reaction from a few seconds ago ensued which made Edward all the more confused as to what the three individuals in front of him were having fun with.

"And he is also…!" Agni chimed again.

"He has quite a cute side to him as well it seems," Annalise smiled.

Soma gave a haughty laugh. "Yes, he is indeed! And it seems so, Lady Annalise!"

Having had enough of the teasing, Edward walked past them (after he turned red from Lady Annalise's comment, that is). "Let us go back, Lady Annalise."

"Wait!" the prince tried to stifle his laugh as he stopped Edward. "As I was saying to Lady Annalise a while ago, I am having a party and you are both invited. Agni, you have the invitations, right?"

The moment Edward faced Agni, two envelopes were in his hand. Edward opened one of the envelopes as Annalise took the other with a small 'thank you'.

"Baron Hiddleston's mansion?"

"Ciel suddenly contacted me and said that I will be hosting a party there for some reason. Now that I think about it, this is a weird, is it not? Agni, do you know anything about this?"

"Well, Master Ciel and Sebastian told me that it is a secret but he wanted the both of you, Lord Edward and Lady Annalise, to be there, most definitely." Agni beamed as he placed a hand on his chest.

Before Edward could inquire more about the suspicious answer and series of events, the Indian prince gave him a pat on the back. "So there you have it! Make sure to prepare well for the party tomorrow night, okay? Ciel also said that a carriage has been arranged for you, so do not worry."

"Did he also tell you that I am on a mission?" Edward whispered just enough for all four of them to hear. "I cannot just–"

"Nonsense!" Soma interrupted. "Ciel was the one who wanted the both of you to come, so of course he has thought of your circumstances. He even had your suit and Lady Annalise's dress specially tailored for the occasion!"

"What?"

The excited prince gently gave Edward a push to the direction of their temporary vacation home. "You will see them once you get to Baron Hiddleston's mansion to change. For now, off you go back home! The sun is about to set."

Unable to utter another word, Edward and Annalise left Soma and Agni standing on the sidewalk as the latter two smiled and happily waved to the retreating backs.

Once both were out of sight, Soma sighed then mischievously rubbed both of his hands as his mouth formed into a playful grin. Both men began to walk towards the other direction as they as well headed home. "That young knight is a fun one to tease! No wonder Ciel was having fun when he mentioned him to me." The young prince then put his hands up in the air as if proclaiming some good news to the whole world. "He does not even know that he is–"

"My prince, your voice is getting loud. Please be mindful of your actions," Agni interrupted and warned as he side glanced towards the towns people around them. Indeed, everyone was whispering amongst themselves, questioning if they were circus performers.

Well, this definitely made it his turn to turn red in embarrassment as Agni merely gave his usual smile thinking that his prince still has a lot to learn, as usual.

* * *

The next evening, Edward and Annalise were busy preparing themselves for Baron Hiddleston's night party in their respective rooms.

In the lady's room, a soft humming voice filled the area while she combed her long, honey-colored hair as she sat in front of the large table mirror on one side of the room. Her light purple gown lay on the bed behind her, reflecting marvelously from her mirror.

The thought of going to a night ball gave her much excitement as it would be her first time especially when it comes to getting escorted by a handsome, young knight such as the Lord Edward Midford. Getting reminded of his bashful appearances from the days that they shared, a smile found its way on her lips which made her chuckle lightly with a hint of red painting her cheeks.

Noticing her elated behavior, she turned to face the mirror and gave a sad smile. "I am definitely going to miss this life once this ends."

Without another thought, she stood up and took a few steps to stand in front of her lifeless dress. Her back view from the mirror showed hints of mystery and loneliness. Shaking her head a few times to get rid of her thoughts, Annalise started to get ready for the night with a small smile now plastered on her face.

In the knight's room, Edward just finished showering as the sound of the closing of the faucet was heard followed by the motion of wrapping a bathrobe around him. A few moments later, he stood in front of his bed and was contemplating deeply with one hand under his chin and the other supporting his elbow. One would think that he was making a huge life-turning decision. But in fact, it was of a small matter.

"Light green or light purple?" he said to himself. In front of him were two colors of bowties with matching top hats that had the same colors tied around them. "I guess I will go with the light purple since I recently wore the green one."

Grabbing the bowtie, he positioned himself in front of the mirror and tied it neatly under his collared dress shirt. Finishing with the top hat, he gave one last look in front of the mirror then started to head downstairs to wait.

Coming down the steps, a chime from the main door made Edward quicken his pace. Once he opened the door, a familiar face greeted him with two horse carriages lined at the bottom of the steps. With the moonlight gracing the man's back, he placed his hand on his chest, giving a slight bow.

"Lord Edward, are you ready?"

"Butler? What about Ciel? Is he here too?"

"No," he gave his trademark cat grin. "The young master has already arrived at Baron Hiddleston's mansion and is awaiting the both of you to arrive."

Just then, Annalise was heading towards the two men by the door. "Oh? Sebastian?"

Sebastian gave another bow with his hand on his chest. "Good evening, Lady Annalise. I see that the two of you are quite matched tonight."

Edward had been quiet (and frozen in place) since the moment he heard Annalise's voice. He watched as the two exchanged greetings, eyeing and thinking how lovely the lady beside him looked. The only moment he snapped back to reality was when he heard Sebastian clear his throat.

"Now then," Sebastian continued. "There are carriages for each of you as per the Baron's request. Lady Annalise will ride the first one as Mally, the woman standing beside the carriage, will accompany you. I will personally accompany Lord Midford in the next carriage. Since the both of you are ready, we shall leave at once."

And so, the three of them went down the steps and entered their respective carriages.

* * *

A few moments later, in Edward's carriage, the whole ride was filled with silence. Edward looked out of the window from time to time while Sebastian just sat silently on the opposite side. The carriage suddenly took a turn and entered the forest which made the ride rougher than usual due to the uneven ground. Edward peeked outside his window to check on Annalise's carriage as a precautionary measure.

At that moment, he saw a shadowy figure jump onto the carriage in front of him making it lean to the side for a moment to support the sudden added weight. A scream was heard a few seconds later followed by another shadowy figure being thrown overboard with a thud and a loud cry of pain. The carriage in front then sped up, creating a wider gap from the other behind them, as the horses' neigh echoed into the night.

Startled, Edward instinctively leaned his upper body outside of the window to catch a better glimpse of the unexpected event unfolding right in front of him. At that moment, he could only scream one word as his face was filled with both anger and worry.

"Annalise!"

* * *

**_Author's Note_**: Hello! It has been a while and I'm sorry for the delay. I was out of town during Christmas so I was not able to update within the 6-month period as promised. I kept on getting emails of reviews and follows so I decided to work on it during my lunch break at the least. I really thank those who reviewed, followed, and fave'd this story!

Also, this story was originally meant to be a short story so don't be surprised if I say now that the end is near. It will probably have at most one more chapter (another 4 pages in MS Word) and an epilogue (as planned). Until then, please look forward to the next chapter!

_alexc1209_: Hi there! Sorry for the late update. I added some bits of hidden developments in this chapter for both parties. It's quite subtle but it works, aha. As for Snake, we'll see if he manages to make another appearance. If you've seen the third season of the Kuroshitsuji anime, you'll probably notice that I used another character on here from there. Guess who~?

_Catarina Persephone_: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Latariya_: Aw, thank you very much! I try, I try. Hope you enjoyed this one as well!

_Rusty14_: Updated, my friend! Thanks for your interest in this story!

_AquamarineLove_: He does need more love (and appearances from the manga itself too)! I'm glad he appeared in this current arc (Blue Cult arc, as they call it). ^^

_guinevere29_: Updated the next chapter! Please look forward to the next one as well!

_DMCP_: I am aware of the lack of updates and I am sorry. I do not abandon things without a trace though so if I do decide to discontinue something, I will tell you guys in an update. Thank you for your interest and I hope you look forward to the next chapter as well! Also, thanks for the review since I got an email about it which made me continue to write bits and pieces of this story again during my lunch breaks. ^^


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